Book-support



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

B. C. MATHEWS.

BOOK SUPPORT.

No. 364,360. Patented June 7, 1887;.

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. O. MATHEWSQ BOOK SUPPORT.

No. 364,360. Patented June '7, 1887.

M 'msf BY R ngraphur. Wanmglop. D} Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON C. MATHEWS, OF NE\VARK, NEW JERSEY.

BOOK-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,360, dated June '7, 1887.

Application filed June 17, 1896. Serial No. 205,412. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BYRON O. MATHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book- Supports; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to prevent books of considerable weight andsize such, for example, as dictionaries and similar books of referencefrom sagging, and thus injured when arranged on an inclined shelf in a position convenient for use.

The invention consists in the arrangements and combinations of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the two sheets, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a perspective view showing an inclined shelf with a closed book lying thereon, the upper cover of which latter is pre vented from gravitating or sagging by a sup port which is secured to the shelf and to the said cover. Fig. 2 isa plan of the same, showing the book open. Fig. 3 is a detail plan of a clamp for grasping or holding the cover. Fig. 4 is a back, and'Fig. 5 an end, view of said clamp. Figs. 6 and 7 are views showing a modification in the construction of the support, the

clamp being arranged and adapted to hold to the lower edge instead of the outer edge of the book.

In said drawings, a indicates the shelf, which is on an incline to allow ready reference to an open book thereon by the student or other person seated near to said shelf. 1) is said book, and c is a support affiXed to said shelf and adapted to grasp or hold to the cover of the book to prevent the upper portions of said book from sagging when closed, and thus lifted above the usual rest permanently and immovably fixed along the lower edge of the shelf. The preferred construction of said sup- I port is shown on Sheet 1 of the drawings, in

which (2 indicates a flat bearing-plate secured to the lower or front edge of the shelf, having a pivotal stud, e, projecting therefrom, which furnishes a pivotal bearing for a slotted arm,

f. Said armf is held on said stud by a nut or nuts, 0, and works in a plane parallel with the front edge of the shelf. The said arm f carries a' clamp, g, which works in the slotf of said arm, said clamp moving toward or from the pivotal center of the arm as the book is closed or opened. Said clamp g is provided with clamping-j awsg 9 adapted to grasp the cover of the book and hold the same under the illfluence of a suitable spring, h. It is also provided with an arm, 9', which works in the slot of the arm f. The said arm g has a shoulder, g", which engages one side of the slotted arm, while at the opposite side of said slotted arm are nuts 9 which co-operate with the shoulder in preventing any material movement of the clamp in a direction at right angles to the arm f. The pivotal bearings for said arm are pref erably quite broad, to prevent movement in the same direction.

The clamping-jaws, which preferably pre sent a broad frictional surface to the cover, and may be lined with rubber or other matter or material to increase the friction, are provided with ears or bearing-lugs 9, through which a pivotal rod, 9, passes, and on said rod is arranged a spiral spring, 71., the opposite ends of which bear oppositely on the clamping parts and tend to hold the jaws together. Said parts 9 g are also provided with finger pieces or projections which enable the jaws to be separated to allow the withdrawal of the clamp from the cover.

The bearingplatc 03 may be provided with a rest or support, a, to prevent the arm f from falling below the level of the shelf when the clamp 9 is free from the book and extends beyond the lateral edge of said shelf.

I am aware that many changes or modifica tions of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the clamp may be changed in relation to the slotted arm, so as to graspthe lower edge of the book, as in Figs. 6 and 7, and other and more material changes may be made, so

that I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the positive descriptions hereinabove made.

It will be understood that the arm f vibrates as the cover is either opened or closed, the slot f allowing for any differences in the centers of motion of the two parts.

Having thus described the invention, what- I claim as new is 1. The combination, with the inclined shelf, to. of a support, a, secured to said shelf, and having suitablejaws to grasp the cover lying uppermost when the book is closed, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In combination with the shelf, a booksupport having a pivoted arm adapted to vi brate as the book is opened or closed and suitable jaws or parts to grasp the cover, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In combination with the shelf, an arm movable in a direction parallel with the lower edge of said shelf, and a clamp carried by said arm and adapted to grasp or hold the cover of the book to prevent the upper portions thereof from sagging, substantially as herein set forth. 4. In combination with the shelf, a slotted pivotal arm, and a clamp working in said slot and adapted to grasp and hold the book to prevent the same from sagging, substantially as herein set forth.

5. In combination, a pivotal and slotted arm 0 adapted to be secured to the shelf, and a clamp or grasping device adapted to hold the cover ofa book,said parts being arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In combination, a pivotal and slotted arm adapted to work on the shelf in a direction parallel with the edge thereof, and spring actuated jaws, said parts being arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. I11 combination with a slotted arm, a clamp adjusted in the slot ofsaid arm and pro vided with jaws g g, pivotal lugs or ears and finger projections 9'', a pivotal pin and a, spring tending to hold said jaws together, sub stantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand;

BYRON C. MATHEWS.

"Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, FREDK, F. CAMPBELL. 

